Are you about ready to store your car long-term? If so, consider placing the car in a professional storage center geared toward storing vehicles. While it is possible to store the car in your own garage, driveway, or rented storage unit, taking the car to a professional auto storage center offers more benefits that do a better job of protecting your car while you're away. One of those benefits is better pest protection, which can be a real problem for self-storage situations.

Professional Storage Helps Reduce Pest Risk

No matter where you store your car, you have to take certain precautions to protect it from pest invasions. Mice, rats, spiders, roaches, and other creepy or annoying creatures can take over your car in any season. Despite all the precautions you can take, though, there's still a risk that vermin will take over.

If you leave your car in a storage center such as The Storehouse Watertown, you have a number of advantages. The center will be cleaned on a regular basis, so there are fewer chances for vermin to hang out without being chased out. There may be professional pest control to help barricade the building against pesky pests. The staff might be able to start your car on a regular basis—something that will help preserve the good health of the engine.

Staff can also inspect your car regularly to check the general condition of the car. If they see evidence of a leak, for example, or of an infestation, they can take action to stop the problems. This is extremely important if your car is in an area known for spiders because they can crawl into areas like the space behind the wheel well and set up a home. Those need to be taken care of immediately.

The amount of work a company will do for your car varies from place to place. But many offer these perks that you just can't get if you leave your car in your garage for a long time.

You Still Have Work to Do

When you store your car, you still need to set up many protective barriers to prevent pests—the storage facility staff will be able to do only so much. By working together, you can keep your car looking good for when you eventually bring it back home.

Place steel wool in the tailpipe to block rodents from entering. Remember to remove the steel wool before driving the car after removing it from storage. If staff will be starting your car occasionally, let them know about the steel wool so they can remove and replace it as necessary.

Place tape over other openings like air intakes.

Ensure your windows and sun roofs are completely closed.

Place mothballs in your car to drive rodents and bugs away.

Place dryer sheets in your car to repel mice. You can try placing some in the engine, too, but staff will have to remove them to start the car—be sure staff know the sheets are there.

Set some traps or poison baits around or even in your car, but be careful—do this only if someone will be able to inspect the traps every day. Storage staff might not be willing to do this, so don't set traps or baits unless you have their permission. Be sure the traps and baits are on areas that won't absorb messes from the rodents.